MLP has become the marquee professional pickleball competition in the United States. The 2026 season is shaping up to be the most competitive and most watched yet. Here's what to pay attention to heading into the season.
Format Refresher
MLP operates with a team-based format where franchises compete in a round-robin and playoff structure. Each team fields a men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles pair. The team format creates storylines and rivalries that individual tournament formats struggle to generate — players are competing for their team, not just themselves.
The Player Pool
The top-rated players in the world are competing in MLP, and the depth has improved dramatically as prize money and visibility have attracted players who might have stayed on the margins of professional pickleball a few years ago. Watching MLP matches now is watching a genuinely high-quality product.
What to Watch For
The mixed doubles format produces some of the most entertaining pickleball being played professionally. The coordination requirements between partners — who takes the middle, when to poach, how to protect weaker positions — all play out at speeds that are instructive for amateur players watching with the right frame of mind.
How to Follow
MLP matches are available through their streaming platforms and through broadcast deals that have expanded the sport's media reach. For serious players who want to improve their own game through observation, watching MLP with an analytical mindset is one of the most useful things you can do off the court.
Share:
The State of Pickleball in 2026: Growth Numbers, Market Trends, and Where the Sport Is Going
The State of Pickleball in 2026: Growth, Courts, and What's Coming Next